Approaching his 13th professional season, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre is the best the National Football League has to offer.
That's not just according to his teammates in the locker room, but also to the latest edition of The Sporting News, which features Favre on the cover, flanked by starting offensive linemen Marco Rivera, Mark Tauscher, Mike Flanagan, Mike Wahle and Chad Clifton.
The magazine's annual list of the top-100 players in the NFL also includes safety Darren Sharper (33), running back Ahman Green (39) and defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (86).
Favre was No. 4 on the list last year, behind St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss, respectively.
Of those to precede Favre in 2002, only Moss made the top-15 in 2003, at No. 15.
Of the Packers' entrants, both Sharper and Green dropped a few spots from their 2002 rankings despite Pro Bowl seasons. Sharper was No. 31 last year, just behind Green at 30.
After missing most of the 2002 season with a torn triceps, defensive end Joe Johnson fell out of the top-100 from 46th in 2002.
Gbaja-Biamila was up from a ranking of 92nd in 2002.
Click here to see a larger image of the cover.
